With a troubled childhood including the splitting of his family, gang involvement and criminal activity, sophomore Jeremy Hawkins said he was lead from Utah to Samoa to get a fresh start. After several years in Samoa, Hawkins said he turned his life around, served a full-time mission for the Church, found internet fame, and developed a deep love for Polynesian people and their cultures.
Early life
Jeremy Hawkins, a sophomore majoring in social work from American Samoa, was born in Chicago, Illinois. When he was young, he joined his family as they moved to Australia where they lived for several years. “My family was going to move to Utah because my dad had to work over there. On the way to Utah, we spent some time in New Zealand, Tahiti, Tonga and Samoa. When I was in Samoa, that was the last place I was with my family.
“At age 7, a few weeks after we got to Utah, my family split up. My mother and father divorced. My mother took some of my siblings and my brother and I went with my father. My mother moved around a lot, so I never had a relationship with her growing up. My father wasn’t the best dad in the world. He wasn’t very caring and he was neglectful. He eventually went to jail.
“I stayed with my mother for a bit after that, but she was preoccupied with her new husband. I eventually was taken in by a Tongan family in Utah. While staying with [them], I met a Samoan family and they took me in.”
Living with his new Samoan family, Hawkins said he was not involved with the Church at all. He went to a different church, a Samoan church with his Samoan family. It was also during this time where Hawkins learned to speak Samoan fluently.
“As time went on,” Hawkins said, “I started getting into trouble. I moved away from [my Samoan family]. I wanted to be cool and do my own thing. I moved in with a Tongan family in Salt Lake City. I graduated from high school, but I was getting into a lot of trouble. I was involved with gangs, criminal activity, and I was just being stupid.” After going to court several times, spending time in juvenile detention as a youth, and also spending time in jail, Hawkins decided he needed to turn his life around and get a fresh start somewhere else. “I had to getaway. I needed to get away from bad friends, get off the map and have a fresh start.”
Finding his way
At age 19, Hawkins said he moved to Samoa and stayed with one of his childhood friends so he could get his life back on the right track. “When I first went to Samoa, I went with a gangster mentality. I went there with diamond earrings, nice clothes and I just thought I was the man, but after spending some time in Samoa, I saw how simple life was really like. People just live off their farms and plantations. Life was simple but people were happy. The humble lifestyle changed me.”
Hawkins added, “Being around Polynesian culture makes [me] happy. I spent time there in my childhood and grew up with many Polynesians, so the culture and the people became my comfort.”
After staying in Samoa for about five years, Hawkins said he found his way back to the gospel and eventually went on to serve in the Alaska Anchorage Mission from 2016-2018. “Serving my mission in Alaska was the first time I encountered people who were shocked when I could speak Samoan. Samoans couldn’t believe that this white boy could speak the language like that.”
After his mission, Hawkins returned to Samoa for a few months before going to Utah. He attended LDS Business College for two semesters before coming to BYU–Hawaii.
Explaining how he decided to come to BYUH, Hawkins said, “The school was calling my name. I saw things about the Polynesian Cultural Center [PCC] and the programs the school had, and I wanted to be a part of it. I felt like this was a cool place where I could be me. Polynesia makes me happy and I wanted to go where Polynesia was celebrated, so I had to come here.”
Ian Seiuli, a senior double majoring in information technology and graphic design from Samoa, said of Hawkins, “I think he’s cool that he likes to show his talents and skills and that he’s proud that he’s adopted a new culture. I like that he’s an individual who has gone through adversity and overcame his trials but continues to strive.”
Life as the ‘Palagi Boi’
“No matter where I go, Polynesians have always taken me in,” Hawkins shared. Besides Polynesians taking him in, he can also be seen as the ‘Palagi Boi’ on social media, an account he uses to entertain and share the gospel. Some of his videos he has uploaded have hundreds of thousands of views and thousands of shares.
Hawkins said, “When people hear me speak Samoan, they jump. Their eyes get big and they freak out. Sometimes when I’m around Samoans, I like to pretend I don’t understand. Then after a while, I’ll just jump in the conversation and freak them out.”
His videos, which he has uploaded to his personal page and his page ‘Palagi Boi,’ consist of entertainment videos, comedy, and also gospel messages.
Now a tour guide at the PCC, Hawkins said he has had people from New Zealand, Australia and America recognize him because they have seen him on social media and call out to him as Palagi Boi.
Hawkins said of his goals for his social media, “I want to keep sharing the beautiful cultures of Polynesia with the world. There is great diversity on this campus, and I want to share that with everyone while also promoting the gospel.”
Mahonri Eteru, a sophomore majoring in psychology from Australia, said of his friend Hawkins, “Everyone only sees his thug-like attitude on the outside, but at heart, he is a man of deep sincerity and love for all his fellow men.
“He is always thinking of what he can do to bless someone else’s life and is fun-loving. He is not affected by other people’s opinions and lives the best way he knows how, with the Lord.”
Currently an Elders Quorum president, Hawkins said he plans to continue with his education and get a master’s degree in social work from the University of Hawaii-Manoa, then go on to help people who have been in his situation.
“I want to help people become better. The Lord has blessed me so much with many things in my life,” he said, “and I want to use my life experiences to help people to live better lives.”
Date Published
December 5, 2019
Last Edited
December 5, 2019
Campus & Community